The Broken Legacy
by ye'oldsoomin
Summary: Praxis had finally done it. The Dark Warrior Project was a perfect success. Now know as the "perfect soldier", can Daxter save Jak from the Baron's grasp? Or will he fall and become prey to the tyrant's will?
1. Prolouge

Title: The Broken Legacy

Summary: Praxis had finally done it. The Dark Warrior Project was a perfect success. Now know as the "perfect soldier", can Daxter save Jak from the Baron's grasp? Or will he fall and become prey to the tyrant's will?

A/N This is my first Jak and Daxter fic. I'm not so sure if I'll be able to keep everyone in character, but I'll try my best. If any of the facts are false, please don't be afraid to tell me. I have not played all the games

* * *

Prologue: In Which the Legend is Broken

"Baron Praxis, you have called for me?" Behind a large door, a man in his twenties equipped with armor walked in. His face was set in a serious look, but in truth, it was more likely to hide his excitement from the current city's leader. He had already heard the news from the constant gossip between the eco scientists about the success in the project while making his way here.

Since of now, the whole entire project looked to be a complete failure. But after a breakthrough from the research that the scientists discovered, all of the experiments were everything but a failure. Once the procedures were finished, the subject's strength, and durability had increased considerably that it might just rival a top-notch Wastelander or even Erol himself. And though those same researchers had claimed that these experiments might just destroy his mental stability, it was a small cost to what the project could bring to this world.

"Yes. As you probably already know, our little test subject has seem to be reacting positively to out recent testing and experiments. So much so that we had considered that any more experimenting on him may cause a decline in his progress. For this reason, I have called for you,"

"And what will that be?" Erol asked, curious to why the King of Haven City has chosen him for to listen this trivial lecture.

"The constant Metal Head attacks have damaged out shields so much that we cannot keep up with the repairs, as we all well know. And with the Underground constantly raging war against us with their sabotage to our limited supplies for our soldiers, I have no time to both plan a defense strategy against those foul demons away from this city and devise a tactic that will keep the rebellion at bay. But with the Dark Warrior Project I think I have killed two birds with one stone," Once seeing the lack of excitement from his commander's face, the Barron decided to go on,

"I have made the perfect soldier, Erol. A machine with a brain to process like human and yet to still be able to kill like one. Nothing will be able to stop him. I'm afraid that once he had gain more experience with his powers, he may be able to one day defeat you. And perhaps I may need a new Commander of the Krimzon Guards that day as well," the King joked, laughing heartily. It was rare to see such excitement on the current ruler's face, but it was to be expected.

Erol, who was still kept in the dark about his reason being here, wondered slightly about the soft footsteps that were approaching the throne room's entrance. He pushed it off as just a random guard making his rounds and then focused his attention on the soft buzzing around that strangely irritated him for the time being. Perhaps he should call that exterminator again. And then maybe he wouldn't dread being pulled out from his leisure periods or his time to flirt with that cute mechanic.

"Erol, are you listening?"

"Yes, Baron Praxis. Though I still do wonder why my presence here was needed. If you wanted to gloat about your success with that freak of nature, shouldn't you have done it over broadcast? Surely that would have put the Underground in a more uncomfortable position in this war,"

"Have you ever played a good game of poker Erol? You never revel your hand until the very last second. That is why I brought you here. I'm going to need you to watch over the boy while we find the perfect time to attack the Underground and the Metal Heads,"

At this moment, the Krimzon Guard rejected the idea of having to babysit over a child. As Commander, the man should have be give more respect than being degraded to a nanny of sorts.

"Baron Praxis, I don't think that's a good idea. Considering the missions I received over the last month, the subject will very well end up dead before you even have a chance to think of a time to attack,"

"Hmph, you seem to have the wrong impression of this lad Erol. Perhaps you weren't listening when I told you he's a perfect warrior. Made for battle and murder. All I need you to do is push him in the right direction. Make sure that his loyalties aren't strayed elsewhere other than me. Simple as th-"

The door behind them opened widely as a figure stood behind the entrance.

"Baron Praxis, you called?" It was clear that the figure was male. His blond hair gently swayed from the small breeze coming from the windows in front of him. The red Krimzon Guard mask his his voice, but Erol knew better than to think that it was just one of his ordinary soldiers.

The Baron smiled at the man. He watched as he walked closer to them and then stop once he was within hearing distance.

"Yes. The man you see before you is Erol. He shall be your mentor and ally in both training and missions respectively," the leader of Haven City turned to face with the Commander, "Erol, meet your new Lieutenant General,"

The man placed a hand on his mask and quickly took it off. The familiar face was enough to make Erol smile in excitement. The once blue eyes that were now tainted opened as they took in every detail of the man in front of him.

"Lieutenant General Jak of Haven City,"


	2. Long Time, Not Seen

Chapter 1: Long time, not seen

* * *

"Ding, ding... third floor... Body chains, roach food, torture devices..." Daxter had finally appeared. After two years of... searching for his friend, yeah that was what he was doing... he finally found his mute and blond sidekick. And it wasn't easy. There were dumb insects and they weren't small. They were giant! Jak probably wouldn't believe that he actually did some of the things he did. But he'll say he did, just to humor him. Because that was the guy he was.

"Hey buddy, seen any heroes..." Daxter's question faded away as he saw that not a soul was around. The ottsel was confused, but like that ever would have stopped him. It happened far too many times for that to be a dilemma.

"Must have been the fourth floor with the other torture devices and roach crap. Might as well talk about the decorator while I'm here. I'm thinking pink for the this room. It'll really compliment the screams and horror of this place," after two years, Daxter had gotten used to talking to himself. Despite the weird looks, it was a habit he had developed in Sandover and was stubborn not to break it.

"And here I brought old Jakkie-boy some new threads. Two years in this dump and I bet ya that he hasn't bathed during those two years either. Aw well, I'll buy more when I find him," Daxter sighed and tossed the newly woven clothes down the bottomless pit. 'They were his favorite colors too,' the ottsel silently added and try to spy a way out of this dungeon.

The orange haired rat crawled up the nearby boxes, hoping that by some stroke of luck, that his long lost friend was somewhere around here. After all, he had used two years of his life finding his sidekick. And he'll bet every hair on his ottsel body to make sure he does just that by this day.

After their history together, he'll be a horrible friend not to. It was a promise they made a long time ago with the sacred five year old pinky swear oath. And he was sure that Jak would have done the same thing if he was in his position, if not sooner. So today Daxter will be the hero. And then his conscious will be clear and he'll be on Jak's shoulder in no time. Being so short wasn't one of the advantages of being an ottsel.

"Intruder!"

"Get him!"

… Maybe after he escapes from the Krimzon Guard.

"Ahhh!" Daxter scurried below the guard's legs and escape with only the tip of his tail missing a few of its hairs. He waited a few minuets to make let those city ruling officers relax and and believe that he was dead. It was a good thing that Praxis didn't make the guards take an IQ test, or else this whole entire plan would be screwed.

"Is it gone?"

"Dead, probably. Shot him right in the tail. Best shot of the week for me. As if anything happens in this city,"

"Back to your post you two!"

Two minuets of waiting and Daxter finally chose to escape from his hiding place. It had taken him a week to learn that the guards here had the attention spans of lurker fish and didn't need to hide forever in the shadows.

"Come on Jak. Where are ya pal? Let's get out of here as soon as possible," the lonely friend pleaded for a sign to show him the way to his friend and continued on looking for the blond elf somewhere around this castle.

* * *

"Intruder in sector seven. Intruder in sector seven. Do not attempt to escape and prepare to die," the feminine voice warned. The Barron and Erol looked up from their conversation to listen more carefully to the announced news. Jak remained stoic, but still was curious who was crazy enough to infiltrate a palace as deadly as this.

"Jak, you heard what has happen. Find out who it is, and make sure he leaves as soon as possible. Make sure he gets out alive. We don't need this news to get out to the Underground and encourage more people to join their forces. And once you're done with that, find Erol. He will have details for your training." Praxis ordered. Jak nodded and walked out from the throne room.

Erol, who was still skeptical of the Eco Freak's actual abilities, asked, "Are you sure that this is a wise decision? I thought that we had agreed on that we wouldn't revel our secret weapon until further in the war. What happens if the intruder is a Underground member?"

The Barron smirked at his Commander's suspicions. "You worry too much Erol. I order him not to kill the intruder. This way, if it is an member of the Underground then we'll give those fiends something to worry about. If not, then we'll give those peasants something else to worry about a little more and that'll keep them from having those rebellious thoughts of replacing me with that 'lost heir to the city', It's a win-win situation. Now go and introduce Jak to the city. That man will need to know all areas and access passes to all of New Haven's walls."

"As you wish," Erol muttered and walked away. As he exited the throne room, he could barely hear the gun blasts in the far distance and the soft screams of his fellow guards as they were probably unlucky enough to get into the shooting zones.

_'Eco Freak isn't that bad. Perhaps I'll keep him after all,'_ he smiled and ordered two zoomers to be prepared for him. If he was going to have to babysit the brat, then he's at least going to make worth while.

* * *

Jak couldn't remember much. The medics, at least Jak thought they were medics, said that he had just recovered from a dangerous concussion from a dangerous Metal Head ambush. He was told he was a part of the Krimzon Guards after metal heads killed his family. He was seventeen and didn't talk as much. All of his relatives had died and his friends abandoned him after hearing his amazing ability to channel eco like a sage from the old stories. No one took him in and his only option was the join the guard.

He didn't have a good life back then.

But that didn't stop him. He moved up the ranks and became Lieutenant General of the Guard. He didn't have many friends in the guard due to his quiet nature and he rarely got out into the city because of the many mission he was assigned to protect the Barron at all hours. When he had the time, he took it to either eat or rest for he next mission he knew he would receive.

Anything before that was a blur and it had seemed too much of an effort to try and squint to see what those images were. What was happening now was important to him. He could wonder about his past when all of this had settle down.

Or at least that was what he hopped he would do.

He brought out his gun, hopping to scare the intruder as soon as he saw him. He didn't like to keep people waiting, and Erol doesn't seem like the patient type.

A few soldiers had given him strange looks. Some had even pointed their guns out. But even before they had the time to pull the trigger, Jak had shot them and gave all the surrounding guards a look that said "Think-about-it-and-you'll-be-like-them,". He guessed that he wasn't really a popular guy at all while he still had all of his memory.

He made his way all the way to the room whose only purpose seemed to be was to drown giant crates. Leaks sprouted everywhere and stung his wounds he wasn't aware he had. The Lieutenant sighed and lowered his gun, trying to think of somewhere the intruder might be. He probably checked everywhere from sector seven to sector ten. That only left about a thousand more sectors to check.

"Aaahhhhh!"

Jak turned around and was met with a orange ball of fur. His instincts ordered him to kill it, but the orders of The Barron stuck in his mind as he pulled the orange rat from his face.

"Whoa! Remind me never to do that again! Thanks a lot there buddy. I think you just saved me from a whole lot of trouble," As the rodent dropped down from the elf's shoulder, Jak couldn't help but feel a wave of nostalgia come over him, but he was quickly brought back from it.

"What are you doing here?" Jak asked. On closer inspection, the Lieutenant saw that the rodent was indeed an ottsel. They weren't very common around Haven City, but he never heard of one that could talk as well.

"I'm, my good man, trying to look for my... friend..." the stunned look on the rat's face was enough for Jak to raise an eyebrow.

"JAK!" The ottsel quickly clamped its paws around the Krimzon Guard's neck, only to receive a muffled sound of surprised.

"Oh buddy! Where have you been? What did the Barron to you? Why do you smell like a Krimzon Guard?" The ottsel quickly released its grasp and finally landed near the Guard's feet. Somewhere deep in his subconscious, Jak felt bad for not knowing what the creature's relation was to him. It was almost as if they were friends for years. But instinct overcame that small idea of happiness and Jak rose his gun to meet with the animal's eyes.

"J-Jak?"

"You have three seconds to get out of here before I kill you, rat"

"Jak? Come on pal. It's me, Daxter! Your old pal?"

"Three."

"In Sandover. Remember? We used to go to the beach and explore that stupid Jungle all the time. 'member Misty Island and those other fun times?"

"Two." Jak made a mental note to research Sandover later. The name did sound familiar to him, but he decided it was just a way for an Underground member to get to his head.

"Okay, maybe the Barron did something to your brain. But you got to remember your pal Daxter right? We've been friends since the beginning of time for Precursor's sake!"

"One."

At that point the rodent screech after seeing the blond elf would give no mercy and escaped by climbing nearby boxes. He gave a final look before diving down from the window with a face of regret. Jak followed, only slightly curious whether the ottsel survived the fall or not. He saw a flash of orange running around the corner and then disappeared into the slums of Haven City.

Static sounds came from his communicator and a rough voice sounding like his new captain came on.

"Where are you Jak? I thought that this would be an easy mission for you. Come to the bottom floor and dress casually. There's no need for you to attract attention to yourself this early of the game. Clothes are left for you in your room," The blond could almost see the smile on Erol's face as he talked.

He looked down at him and wondered why he was wearing this in the first place. He doesn't look that good in red, much less this bulky Krimzon Guard armor. He prefers to wear blue and something that fits him loosely. Flashes of a younger him dressed in light blue clothes came to his mind, but he shook the thought away and did what his commander told him.

* * *

"Oh Jak! Why! I need to get drunk. Two years after looking for you and you repay me with a blaster to the face," Daxter muttered. Of course he didn't fully believed that his buddy for at least ten years had forgotten him. Something was done to him. He could tell by the look in his eyes. Once expressive, youthful eyes were now cloudy with something Daxter couldn't describe. But he couldn't do this operation alone, he was going to need help.

"Maybe Old Green and Keira could help me. They were hear too, right? Yeah! I can totally-" The ottsel would have completed the sentence if a kid about his size wasn't standing in front of him.

"Woah! Watch it Scruffy," the orange rat scolded. He found himself being stared at with two big eyes that were strangely familiar. A hat covered most of his head except for a green scruff of hair that popped out from the front. He wore a nostalgic blue tunic and an amulet that hung around his neck.

The child didn't say much, strangely enough, but was awfully curious. He poked the poor ottsel in every spot possible. And though he enjoyed being petted behind the ears, it wasn't something Daxter would wished for.

"'Kay kid. Go to your parents now. Daxter doesn't feel like pretending to be a crocadog right now," the rat sighed as the kid didn't get the message.

Just when Daxter thought he wasn't ever going to be alone, he was suddenly grabbed by the hand and then dragged through the crowds. Apparently he was running away because he could faintly hear with his animal senses someone calling for the kid.

_Well, I got nothing better to do,_ Daxter thought to himself and ran with the kid, pretending that he was still nine and he and Jak were adventuring around the villiage.

* * *

And we have scenes! And dialouge! And other stuff stories have! Please review and tell me what you think of my Daxter and Jak. Were they a little OOC? Or a lot? This is my first time writting them. Thanks for reading!


	3. Deja Vu?

Torn would say that he was a normally passive guy. He'll yell at people, but that was because he was a commander for the Krimzon Guard at one point of time. Besides, people couldn't take a little of his supportive criticism didn't have what it took to be in the Underground. He even allowed the Kid to keep that stupid crocadog of his even though the things didn't like anyone else in the Underground. But it wasn't like the Kid was going to take "no" for an answer anyways.

But when a talking orange rat comes through the door of their secretively marked hideout and starts cussing at the Kid who probably is still learning how to spell "blue", he's going to put his foot down on the matter. And maybe take some medication with a trip to the doctors. Ottsels weren't supposed to talk the last time he checked.

"What are you doing here?" he asked. The ottsel seemed to have just noticed that there was another person in the room and turned around slowly. His furry paw reached out towards the kid and pulled him in front of him.

"Uh, this kid here dragged me here. Maybe you should teach him some manners if you're going to leave him wondering around the streets all day long. You don't want some bum coming through this wonderful room you got here, you know?" the rat carefully worded. Obviously he knew that another misunderstanding between the two of them will lead into him being skinned and become the new rug for their secret hideout.

Torn looked at the Kid and stared for a while. After more than three months with the kid, he knew that he wouldn't talk, no matter what he or anyone else tried. So the best he could do was try to figure out what he was thinking through the silent words of body language.

He had big eyes. With pouting lips. Hands in a prayer position, slightly raised above his chest. The crocadog was quietly sitting down, obviously waiting for his answer. And the boy sniffled a bit but smiled brightly. What could it mean?

It was so obvious!

...Torn needed to teach the Kid sign language one of these days.

"He wants to know if I can stay, or something like that,"

The ex-Krimzon Guard leader turned his head to meet face to face with the rat who was already lounging on one of their beds. His bed, to be exact.

"That's what he's saying. Can't you tell? You have to be a really dummy to not tell that. My old man could... probably... tell." Torn was at first amazed. Then it slowly turned into aggression with every word that stupid ottsel said as climbed onto his map on the table in front of him. His hand unconsciously reached for the dagger he always kept. But stopped as two small and cold hands reached out to stop it from going any further.

He looked at the child again. He confirmed the rat's answer with his own judgment. He bent down to get to eye level with the lost orphan and asked, "Do you really want to keep it? It's a lot of responsibility to take care of two mutts and nobody else helping you. Especially one that can talk,"

The rat began complaining about he wasn't an "it" or a mutt, but the crocadog tackled him to the floor before it could change Torn's mind as the Kid nodded furiously.

"Fine, but I don't want to see any ottsel pellets around here, got it?"

The leader of the Underground sighed and looked back to the rat. "Looks like you're in. Torn,"

"Daxter. I'm _thrilled_ to make you acquittance," the rat rolled his eyes. The Kid smiled happily and took him by the paw to drag him back to the bunk beds. He pointed to the top bed and climbed up the ladder that was made just for him by Torn. Daxter immediately got the message and followed the direction.

As much as he didn't want to admit it, Torn knew that the rat had talent with deciphering what the young boy wanted to say. Even the Shadow, who was supposed to be the best with kids in their group, had hard time to figure out what he was talking about. Sooner or later, the Kid would find Kor and they would be on their marry way. But that was something about Kor Torn didn't like and offer to take the kid under his wing for today.

But without Tess, he was clueless about kids. He probably wouldn't even give the Kid a second look if he wasn't so important. Perhaps the rat would have a use other than being nuisance. He seemed to get along with the Kid pretty well. Almost as if they were long lost brothers.

"Hey! That is my tail! No! I'm not a toy! No! Bad kid! Baad!"

_CRASH!_

Then again, it could all be a devious plan from the Baron to slowly drive him insane and destroy the Underground in a slow, but painful defeat. But after seeing the Kid happier than he was ever since he came here, he was willing to take his chances and deal with it.

"Torn, are you there?" asked the transmitter across from him.

"Tess? What is it?"

"It's about the Baron. Remember how I told you that he was working on a project for the last two years? It worked. The test subject just left to go to the arena. He seems stable and doesn't look like he knows exactly what's been happening. Send someone there to spy on him," Torn cursed quietly and looked at the list of all of the available.

Either it was Jynx or the newly appointed.

"Daxter! Get down here. I have a mission for you,"

* * *

"Krew! Where are you?" Erol called as he guided Jak into one of the booths. That was the first and final time Jak would ever voluntarily ride with Erol. Apparently his commander had some kind of adrenaline addiction and felt that he needed to go on death making speed just to go somewhere that probably would taken ten minuets to get to using the normal speed limit. Oh, and the screams of the many, many innocent citizens probably helped Jak come to his decision.

As they sat down, Jak noticed that the bar was very empty despite it being night and after most work hours. The only people here was the bar tender and a giant man floating towards them. Wait, what?

"Aye. Can you tone it down a bit? Gotta have me beauty sleep. Hello? Who's this?" For a moment, Jak felt the urge to punch the man he assumed was Krew. He took a deep breath, well, tried to without breathing some of the toxins that man was exhaling.

"Set me up with the usual. As for him, make sure he doesn't get anything strong. He's still underage,"

"Tess! Get Erol what he usually gets! As for the lad, get him one of those kiddie juice boxes we keep in the back!"

Jak, trying to ignore the heavy breathing of the fat man beside his table, darted his eyes around the room and scanned every little detail of the very vacant bar out of the sheer boredom of the current conversation. The thing he noticed the most were the metal head trophies hanging proudly over the walls above the entrance. Apparently there was someone who was skilled with a gun among them. But that certain someone was lucky enough to miss this tense and awkward meeting. Heck, he rather be one of those metal heads than just sit here and look awkward in front of Erol and Krew.

"I heard that this season's races are coming up a bit earlier than usual. What is the reason?" the tattooed man inquired.

"The Underground. They've been giving people hope here. They've been training and now it seems like at least one of those poor amateurs think that they could be your equal. Pitiful really. So know they think they should hurry it up before you have the time to improve on you skills," he sneered, giving Jak full view of his toothless mouth, "Like they would have the skill to beat the best racer of all of Haven."

"They might as well give a child their spot in the race. The Baron is getting paranoid and needs me to make sure all patrols are at their highest at all times. Making sure that you don't get caught and that the Baron doesn't expect a thing is going to make it a lot more harder on me. I'm probably not even going to have time to actually participate in those races, much less prepare a zoomer for myself," Erol growled. Krew raised an eyebrow and then glanced to the blond elf for a second before grinning another toothless grin.

"Ho, ho, don't cut yourself too short, Erol. What's your little partner's name?"

Jak immediately looked up from his drink and stopped. He was torn between actually answering and being a good little soldier like he is supposed to and staying silent and hope that a customer will actually come in and distract the big man. Hopefully it would be the hunter. He was almost sure that the hunter would not only give him enough time to make a getaway plan, but it would be interesting to see how skilled this hunter was.

"His name is Jak. The new soldier from the 'program' I was telling you about the other week. Baron is making me babysit the rookie until all is fine with him and he's ready to take on the real world. He doesn't talk much, since he didn't have the time to get out of the palace But that'll be over by the time he's set for real missions," the commander explained, frowning slightly.

"Oh? Heh, heh. Looks like we found your replacement Erol. Jak was it? Think you can race a few times around the track?"

"I can handle my own," He didn't know why, but for some reason those felt like they were the truth. Perhaps he was a racer back when he lived in the slums?

"Ha Ha! So the little soldier thinks he can handle a race with the big boy, can he? It almost makes want to run to the arena and watch it in person. Erol, take him to the arena and get him set up with your engineer. Let's see how good the lad truly is. I have to warn you Jak. Erol doesn't take kindly to losers. Especially when his reputation is on the line here,"

For the first time, Jak saw that Erol was genuinely happy with this idea. Perhaps he was a talented racer in the slums and that Erol was happy for him to be on his team. But that would be out of character for him.

But before he could think any further, Krew's words suddenly caught up to Jak's mind. Erol would have to _take_ him there, as in drive him, to the arena which was, according to his limited knowledge, was on the other side of town. With only one zoomer. Jak was in for another horror show. Perhaps he should have taken his helmet when he had the chance.

"Come on Jak. I'd like to show you a friend of mine. She might be a little feisty, but don't worry, she'll warm up to you eventually. At lease, we hope she will,"

As the two of them were leaving, Jak heard in the distance a radio transmitter. He looked back and saw that Krew had suddenly disappeared. For a fat man, he could hide pretty well.

* * *

_Dark. Boring. Drab. This place is definitely no Sandover._ Daxter felt that he was saying that phrase too many times during these last two years. Two years that he was searching for his friend only to find that he was too late. Now he was alone in the colorless world as he tried to find a cure to his childhood friend's amnesia. It was a depressing day for Daxter. It didn't help that Tattooed Wonder's voice kept ringing in his ears.

"Make sure the Kid is safe. Don't let him out of your sight. And don't let any of the guards attack him," Daxter repeated, mocking the leader's gruff voice, "Like anyone is going to attack scruffy over here." Beside him, the child giggled and hung on tight to Daxter's arm. The crocadog surprisingly stayed with Torn. Though the Kid seemed sad to part with it, he was acting unusually happy.

That didn't help with the awkward silence between them, however. He discovered that the Kid had a same fictional disease Jak had which meant he didn't talk much at all. Now Daxter did babysit for a few years (though the parents never requested him again) and he knew connecting with the kid would make his life so much easier in the future. First, the basics.

"So kid, do you have a name?" the ottsel asked, but as soon as he said it he quickly regretted it.

The child shook his head and bowed his head to the floor. Daxter could have sworn that he was experiencing deja vu for some odd reason but couldn't place why. As he tried to recall, his thought came to a sudden stop when he hear a small choking sound. He stopped to see that the little boy had started to cry.

"H-hey! Don't cry! Big boys don't cry, right? See! No waterworks here because I'm all grown up and really strong! Don't you want to be strong and grown up too?" Yeah, two years trying to find friend you might never see again will really make you "grown up". Though he doesn't recommend it to people younger than an ordinary war veteran.

The rat slowed his steps and rested against a nearby fountain. The Kid stopped crying but was silent. Not the silent that was normal for a shy kid like him. It was the silence where he was just depressed and disappointed with himself. Jak was occasionally in this mood every time Daxter himself got hurt during one of their adventures. Sure, the ottsel never got hurt too seriously, but Jak was the kind of person to worry himself enough for the whole population of the world. That's why he believed that the Jak he saw back at the palace couldn't have been the Jak he once knew.

"You want a name, don't you?" the orange rat asked after a second of thought. After ten or some years with Jak, Daxter could call himself a master of reading minds.

The child looked up. First amazed at his master body reading signs and then nodding crazily, eager to hear what name he was going to have.

"Um," Daxter panicked for a moment. He was not the best at names. Jak was the best name he made up with ever since the boy moved to Sandover years ago and even then the name wasn't that good. Three letters! It couldn't be that hard, could it? The rat scanned the area. A mother was tending to her children. An airplane flew over them delivering soldiers to a different section. And then rats suddenly popping up from the sewers below. M-A-R.

"M-Mar?" Daxter shielded his eyes and prepared for another show of water. Mar, in this town, was a hero among the weak. He created the city and the basis of the eco grid for it. For a kid as small as him to take that strong of a name must be pretty horrible.

He was not expecting a hug from the newly named Mar.

"Uh kid?" He didn't get a response as the child stood up from his seat and pointed towards an arena. Inside was supposedly a new weapon for the Baron. Mar began dragging Daxter towards the steps as said ottsel couldn't help but feel that he was already home at Sandover.

* * *

"Guards! Stop them!"

"Commander Erol, don't you think we should slow down?"

"Don't let the voices of the petty fool you, Jak. They're nothing compared to us or. That's we're on top and they're on the bottom. We worked hard and serve the Baron as they slave away, just barely getting by. The Underground are just fools trying to take his crown for themselves," Erol replied with a smirk.

For an eco freak, Jak wasn't as much as a pain he thought he was going to be. If only a bit too curious for his own good, Jak was surely going to be a good soldier in their plans. And hopefully enough to destroy the metal head leader when the time comes...

But first things come first. While Jak was out looking for the intruder, Erol was specifically told to allow Jak to get used to the city. It was obvious that the elf was not from this city, or any other city the Commander knew of, and would need a few weeks adjusting to Haven City. This would mean knowing all aerial routes, guard positions and any other recreational findings in the city including racing. Luckily, the latter was something Erol was a master at. Not only did the blond needed to know these things, but he needed to learn first hand. This arena was the perfect place for Jak to hone his driving skills, seeing how he still wasn't used to the lightning speed the zoomer was meant for.

"Jak I need you to wear this mask anytime you go to an arena. We can't let anyone in the Underground know that you're our new weapons. If they see you, they'll try anything they can to destroy you," Erol ordered. For a moment, Erol could have sworn that Jak's eyes turned a dark shade of blue before turning back to their light hue.

"You don't need to worry about me. I can take on a few little soldiers," Jak boasted. He placed the mask on and walked shakily up the stairs to the arena. Erol mentally recorded the information into his head to tell the Baron later and followed his subordinate to the races. This was going to be his final test in whether or not he can be a true Krimzon Guard. This test was going to make sure if Jak was going to be able to get through this city in one piece.

Jak was going to have impress Keira in someway or form.

* * *

A/N Pretty fun chapter, right? Except for Erol. He can go die in a ditch or something. (Sorry to all the Erol fans!) If anyone thinks my Erol is really out of character, then please tell me. For me, he's a pain to write. Thanks for reading!

Next Chapter: Jak is already socially challenged. How can he impress a girl too stubborn for her own good?

EDIT: Barron is now Baron.


	4. Racing from the Future into the Past

Jak didn't know what to expect when he entered the garage. But whatever he was expecting, this place wasn't it and he was glad for it. The place reeked of motor oil and zoomer exhaust and burnt scrap pieces of metal were laid all over the messy floor. He could hear sounds of a wrench being turned along with a TV playing in the background. The smell of burning metal in the many aromas of the zoomer garage passed through his helmet and it truly felt that he was home at last for the first time today or any other day of his life.

_Perhaps I was a racer after all. _Jak thought to himself while suppressing a small chuckle, feeling strangely pleased with that statement.

"Erol? Is that you?" a female voice brought Jak out of his daydream of crossing the finish line with his prize winning zoomer and brought his attention to the mechanic in front of him.

"Hey there Keira. It's been a while, hasn't it?" Erol said in a gentle voice. The blond elf was very lucky that his helmet was shielding his very shocked face. That same gentle voice was the same voice who was screaming at helpless civilians to get out of his speeding pathway or be made road kill with his zoomer.

After a small hug and a little small talk, something Jak would have never thought he would see Erol would do in his life, Keria looked over to him and walked closer.

"Erol, I thought that you said that the Baron didn't know about," she paused to point at the two of them and then glared at Jak, "us yet."

"Don't worry. Baron Praxis doesn't know everything that goes on in this city. As for him," Erol smirked at his student, "he's just a new rookie Praxis gave me. He doesn't talk much, and he knows how to keep a secret from others," Erol assured, but the mechanic still wasn't impressed. She folded her arms, but didn't say a word more.

She guided the Krimson Guard Commander to the back of the room to show her the new zoomer she was working on before they had arrived. Jak, feeling out of place just standing in the middle of the room like an idiot, scanned the area for something to look at and cure his boredom. The mechanic must have been one of a kind because he had never had heard of someone winning that many trophies in just a few years. A small throbbing sensation within Jak's mind made him feel proud for the girl despite for just meeting her for a few seconds.

Spread across the wall were posters of various racers of the city with their autographs signed all over their faces. The most prominent one was Erol, of course, though one was drawn on with a black marker and shown Erol with mustache drawn across the face along with a monocle and and very long beard. It was signed by Keira and Erol which symbolized their strong relationship together. Any other bystander that had done that would have met the prision cell long ago.

Flashes of sandy beaches came to mind as he saw a picture of Keira holding a trophy at a podium for best mechanic. Another image of a girl came to mind, but she was much younger and shorter with a dress on. She wore the same smile and was laughing lik a child should. It was happy and full of innocence that a young girl should have at her age, as if nothing could go wrong in her own little world. Maybe he knew her from way before when they were children?

"What! You can't tell me that newbie is going to replace you! You're my best racer and I don't care what you have to say!" Jak was again brought out of his thoughts as the blue haired teenager appeared from behind the curtain with her face all red and her tolerance just barely holding her anger.

"Keira, you have to listen to me. Zak can actually hold his own in a race with the other rookies back at the palace with just a normal zoomer. With practice, perhaps he could-"

"Is Zak's his name? So _Zak_," she spat out with spite, "you think you can race with the big boys on the track around here? Erol told me that you can hold your own with those useless slummers before you were in the guard and that you could even beat some of the more advanced racers at the palce. I want you to go to the arena and show me what you got. I already sent out some practice drivers you could hold a mock race with. Get first place on your first try, and I might just consider you as Erol's new replacement."

The soldier, newly named "Zak", narrowed his eyes at the tone she was using. _She didn't control him._ A voice within grew louder as she continued nagging at him for being a horrible racer despite never seeing him race before._ He was supposed to be the one telling her what to do. _

"What, are you scared?" The vision of the little girl at the white sandy beach had disappeared from his mind and was replaced by an image of her begging him to be on her team.

"You know what? I'm going to win this stupid mock race of yours," he said with spite and a glare, "and when I come out from the winner's circle, you'll be on your knees begging me to be on your team." Without another word being spoken between the two, "Zak" left, leaving Keira in rage and anger.

"Just who did he think he is!" she yelled and grabbed her toolbox to continue working on the zoomer in order to work off some steam.

Erol bit his tongue to refrain himself from saying anything during the conversation between the two. It was all very interesting to him. He had remembered the struggles he faced to make the boy to at least show any emotion of pain or anger during those experiments. But now, it seems like the emotion was something he could unleash easily given the right remark about anything. Erol also could have sworn he saw a spark of dark eco coming off from the masked teen at the two talked. He slightly wondered if the Dark Warrior within the boy would unleash itself if provoked enough, or if it was something he would have to learn through time.

"Practice race 4A-2C will begin soon. All racers must be present at their zoomers in exactly one minute," the robotic announcer called.

"Might as well see what that jerk can actually do. Care to join Erol?" Keira asked. The commander smiled and led the way to the arena. It will be interesting what the eco freak could actually do on his own in the track.

* * *

Daxter could not understand why the invention of stairs in such a high-tech city remained. Zoomers flew over them and there were elevators that could reach anywhere above or below ground in almost no time flat. So why couldn't there be an invention of moving stairs in this freaking city? It would be so much easier for those only two feet tall and currently without best friend to help him. Also, the invention of female androids caring for their master's every whim would also be enjoyed if granted.

Mar had already reached the top of the cursed steps and was now stupidly encouraging the ottsel by mouthing inaudible comments and very strange hand motions while jumping up and down. At times, Daxter really wished he could slap the kid for acting so much like Jak would have back in their younger years. But at times like these, it was nice to have someone rooting for you. Even if said person was receiving strange stares from the people who were watching the act.

"What I would do to have a flut-flut right about now," Daxter complained as he reached the final steps of the cursed stairs. The kid began chuckling at the remark for some odd reason and helped his new buddy back onto his feet. Without so much of a second to rest, however, Mar began dragging the tired ottsel over cement and to the track portion of the arena.

Mar began pointing to someone in front of them as the two of them ran faster and faster, but Daxter was honestly too tired to see who it was. The kid seemed to have noticed it and stopped for a moment to examine his new friend. He placed his friend down and reached for a small bag he had hidden somewhere. A small glittering gumdrop was pulled out and was given to the ottsel for a little snack. Daxter, being the mature one in this situation, refused and took the time to relax and to take a small breather. The child smiled and began digging for something else in his bag.

The orange rat had only a second to close his eyes before a slight stinging sensation was rolling off of his tail and then through his whole entire body. He looked at the kid who was now applying something green and oozy onto his face. And before long, the sensation was replaced with a feeling of relaxation and healing. The whole things was something he had not felt since the two years he first arrived here.

"Hey kid, where in the world did you learn to channel green eco like that?" Daxter asked, startling the kid in his concentration state. The child stop abruptly and looked down at his bronze amulet he wore over his neck. From what Daxter could gather from reading the kid's emotion, someone from his family must have taught him or he was born with the trait. And seeing how no one in this city could even grasp the fact that someone could _control_ eco for good instead of using it as a weapon to kill, the latter seemed more likely.

"Practice race 4A-2C will begin soon. All racers must be present at their zoomers in exactly one minute." Mar, looking relieved after hearing the bit of news, hurriedly grabbed the rodent's arm and ran off in the direction of the track where thousands of people were now gathering. It was he way of saying, "I really don't like talking about it." And Daxter accepted that. Secrets would unravel in their own little way for Daxter, whether he wanted them too or not.

They made their way into the stadium while presenting the fake tickets Torn gave them to watch the event. Mr. Stickman had told them to make careful mental notes of who this man was and anything that might give them the edge of defeating this man.

From what they could hear from the overexcited crowd, a new racer was being tested to replace Erol, the racing king of the track. Some were checking the new competition, but the rest were all curious as to what this new stranger could entail and wondered if he really had the talent he was rumored to have.

"Racers ready?"

Mar and Daxter sat down in front seats and waited to see some action down on the track. Daxter had enjoyed racing even back when he lived in Sandover and had raced Jak with the makeshift zoomer Keira had made with scraps pieces of metal. Mar seemed to share the same love as he was holding onto the rail in order to see the new racer in excitement.

"GO!"

And off they were into speeds blinding to the human and ottsel eye. Three laps was all that it would take to win this race, and if someone were to die during the race, well, they just gave up their position to the person behind them. The orange rat couldn't tell who the new racer was at this point, but whoever he was, he was someone to be afraid of. He was already a minute ahead of the fake racers that were set up and still in perfect condition without the use of the nitro boosters. And the animal instinct within Daxter told him that he wasn't even breaking a sweat at this point. Whoever he was, he was someone to be feared.

"And the winner is Zak with a record time of 4:15:36!" The crowd roared as the racer stepped off the racing zoomer to take the trophy and pose for victory.

Daxter froze at the sight of the Krimzon Guard mask on the winner's face. It wasn't unusual to see members of the guard attending and even participating in races such as this one, but it was rare be able to see through the mask and know exactly who was behind the wheel. Mar perked up and began jumping and pointing to the masked rider while soundlessly saying, "See! See! It's the person you're looking for!"

This time, it was Daxter who the one who took the initiative and ran off faster than the vulcan fury's bullets.

He needed to speak to his friend and get his head straight.

* * *

Jak couldn't explain it. The experience was as if he was racing over lava and that he was going to die if he didn't crash into balloons and go fast. But, obviously, there weren't any balloons around. So he slammed down on the gas and tried to get to the finish and hopefully survive. One thing wrong with this experience however.

He had never to been even remotely close to anything as hot as lava in his lifetime. And he knew that there wasn't any lava in the Baron's palace.

He could distantly hear a voice screaming at him to go faster or else they were going to be burned to crisps and the smell of the volcanic fumes almost made him pass out on the track. He ended up holding his breath most of the race in order to remain stable. Something wasn't adding up here. Jak doubted that the Baron had make him go through racing simulators while in the palace, but he must have gone through a volcano at one point or else he had very vivid imagination on what he could be doing during intense situations.

But before he could contemplate on it anymore, Erol appeared in front of him with a smile. The smile made Jak forget everything he was thinking of and thought about what that rare smile entailed.

"Didn't know you had it in you rookie. Even Keira was impressed with the time you got. She told me that you're in the team, but you better talk to her about it," the commander said and guided the teen into the garage where the both of them prepared themselves for another outburst for Keira.

"You're in," she simply said and continued working on the zoomer as they arrived. Erol smirked and gave Jak a pushed to encourage him to talk.

"That's it?" Jak asked and put on a smirk of his own.

"I gave Erol the form you need to enter. All you need to do is fill in the blank spaces and come here before the next race. I want to make sure you can still race by that time," she said, not even looking up to meet the blond's gaze. Jak took it as a sign of victory.

"Erol? Are you there?" the Baron's voice came harshly on the com.

"Yes my liege?" Erol responded.

"I need you and your partner to go out to Haven Forest. There seems to be a strong movement of Metal Heads out there and you two need to check up on it," the king ordered and hung up with that order in their mind.

"I'll see you later Keira. And don't be too rough on poor Zak. He's just a kid you know," Erol farewelled and beckoned Jak to follow him. The blond elf took a last look at the mechanic and left. Since when did she have a child?

* * *

"Daxter!" Keira had pulled him out of his hiding spot from behind the curtains and placed him on the table next to her. Her face showed a mixed of happiness and distressed as the two Krimzon Guard soldiers walked away to complete their next mission.

"You can't tell me that he was Jak! Jak was someone who was caring and not, not him! Why is he even in the Guard? Jak wouldn't kill anyone! He wouldn't!"

"Shush. Look, I know it looks grim, but Jak is still Jak. He's just... a little lost. That's all. The kid never had that good of sense of direction. You should have saw him at the village. He couldn't find his way to his uncle's house for Mar's sake!" At the sound of his name, the kid looked up from the various power tools he was examining and walked over to Daxter.

"What happened to him?" The female mechanic asked.

"Not sure baby. But the Underground says that the Baron had been experimenting on him for the last two years or so. My guess that they used torture or something," the ottsel forced himself to say. Keira bit her lip but said nothing. She, instead, turned her attention to the child that was clutching her leg.

"And who's this?"

"Mar. Kid found me after I was being shot at by 'Zak' over there and he refused to leave me," Daxter growled as he remembered the dog that belong to the kid, but left that part out.

"Mar? Isn't that the ruler of Haven?"

"Past ruler," Daxter corrected, "But that's besides the point. We need to get a way to get our Jak back from Zak."

"I'll watch over him from my garage. Knowing Erol, he'll have Jak over here almost every week to make sure Jak doesn't lose his driving skill. I'll com you if something weird happens," Keira offered and petted the child on the head.

"Perfect. So I guess that means we're going out to Haven Forest then," Daxter groaned at the though of entering the forest infested of Metal Heads and other evil things just waiting for some an ottsel lunch.

"Oh, before I forget. I made this a while back just in case Metal Heads arrive in the city, but you're going to need it more than me," Keira handed Daxter the morph gun along with a blue gun mod. Mar looked at the weapon with awe but didn't add anything to the conversation.

"And Daxter," the sage's daughter called.

"Make sure Jak comes back," she smiled and watched as the ottsel ran off and the kid waving before following.

* * *

AN: So how was it? Nothing was too fast or too slow? My hands are freezing as I write this so if there are any spelling errors please tell me so I can fix them. Have a great Thanksgiving to those in the US and review!


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